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How To Become The Unencumbered Incumbent When It Comes To Agency Reviews

Emily Porter is President, West at Havas Formula, where she oversees the agency's West Coast business.

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In the agency world, nothing makes a leader’s skin crawl quite like the phrase “agency review.” Dare I say, there has never been an agency that heard this phrase and thought, “Yes! I can’t wait!”

Most agencies immediately know the odds are against them. And no agency is immune. Even the very best have had to fight for what they believe is rightfully theirs. So, what do you do? Take a deep breath and consider the following tips.

1. Be Objective

You’ve gotten past the initial shock. Before you even look at the new request for proposal (RFP), step back and be completely objective. Did you do good work? What may seem like a simple question may be difficult to answer. What was good work in your opinion may not be what the client wanted.

Additionally, you should ask yourself whether it's time for the brand to have a change. Again, being completely objective and removing the agency’s position and history is difficult, but necessary. And most importantly, you must determine if you have a chance of winning and whether or not it's worth the investment.

2. Dig, Dig And Dig Some More

Now, it’s time to understand what the driving force is behind the review. What’s going to be the main deciding factor? Who are the decision makers? If it is a larger organization, procurement may be involved or even mandating the review. Or is it a more intimate group comprised of the brand team? Perhaps it includes other players and executives? Has a new CMO come into the picture and, if so, how open are they? Dissecting who is involved and the psychology of what’s important to these individuals is critical.

Also, evaluate other factors such as whether the review was driven by budget cuts or a desire to consolidate agencies. A thorough list of evaluation questions can quickly help you assess if you should even participate.

Years ago, we were working with a local technology brand. The company ended up divesting the division of the company we were working with, selling it to private equity and relocating the headquarters. Our knowledge of the brand, our media relationships and our results were all impressive. But despite all of this, I knew that the leadership team wanted a local agency, which we were not. I had to put aside my personal feelings (and experience) that we could service the business wherever it was located. While all the other boxes were clearly checked off, this was one we couldn’t check.

When deciding to participate in a review, it's essential not to be blinded by your amazing team, great results or even a tight relationship with the client. By setting this aside and focusing on what the brand is really looking for, you can honestly evaluate if you have a chance at winning.

3. Don't Rest On Your Laurels

A new RFP comes in and your adrenaline rises -- the thrill of the chase, the challenge of coming up with great ideas and the rush to learn everything you can about the brand before you Mad Men-style strut into a conference room, ready to deliver the pitch. Juxtapose this energy with the energy of the “agency review” notification, and it's night and day. As B.B. King sang, “the thrill is gone.” You're automatically on the defense, which is often fueled by hurt feelings (because your team has likely worked very hard), mixed with confusion and perhaps a sprinkle of denial.

Imagine if you approached an agency review with the same zeal and energy of a new RFP? Setting aside all the baggage can be difficult when approaching an agency review. Also, while your learning curve is minimal, your brand knowledge can sometimes overshadow your creative thinking. One of the best strategies you can take when starting an agency review is to invite new talent into the mix -- individuals who have no prior history with the brand. By doing so, you can benefit from fresh ideas and thinking that’s unencumbered by boundaries the client may have previously set.

Several years ago, we participated in an RFP for a major audio brand. After narrowing the 15 invitees down, the company resolved to have three finalists present -- ourselves, one other agency and the incumbent of nine years. After we were awarded the business, I asked one of the decision makers about the process and he lamented that he was so disappointed in the incumbent. The agency was so overly confident in their relationship with the brand, they didn’t stretch their thinking or bring anything new to the pitch. For anyone in the incumbent position, don’t rest on your laurels -- embrace the invitation as if it were a new prospective client.

4. Understand The Competition

Regardless of how exceptional your agency is, as individuals, we are drawn to the shiny penny -- the new and unknown. This client mentality can be one of the fiercest forces to fight. While we may have spent years building relationships with clients, when the word “review” is thrown out, it feels like the relationship is crumbling.

To counteract this, understand the competition and the strengths they’ll play to their advantage, such as category experience, proximity to client, senior team involvement, etc. From here, work to match those credentials while building a list of your unique strengths. Over the course of a client relationship, you’ve likely modernized your approaches, improved your business intelligence and thinking, enhanced your talent and even added new capabilities, and the client may not be aware. The grass isn’t necessarily greener on the other side, but your job is to articulate that.

Agency reviews come with the territory. Although painful, agencies that embrace the process and harness the best of what their agency has to offer, combined with new, fresh thinking, will be proud they acted as the unencumbered incumbent, no matter the verdict.